Sara Amato a game changer in WWE; NXT Takeover on WWE Network

Hard working, professional, talented, tough and beautiful, Amato is WWE diva material, but she accepted a higher calling, breaking ground in sports entertainment as the first female trainer in WWE.

A world-renowned wrestler who traveled the globe for more than a decade as Sara Del Rey, Amato trains the women at the state-of-the-art WWE Performance Center in Orlando. She is molding and shaping them into NXT Divas with the ultimate goal for them to become successful WWE Divas.

Amato is well liked and well respected by her peers and those she trains.

Former wrestler Bill DeMott, head coach at the WWE Performance Center, said: “With 18 plus women [at the WWE Performance Center] now, the most ever in our developmental system, what better learning tools can we give them than one of the top women in the industry in bringing Sara Amato on board and then having her take over this division. Changing here both in developmental and then on the main roster as a producer just speaks volumes for everything that we do here inside this building.”

Amato, 33, is not only the head trainer for the women’s division, but she is also a WWE producer. Her efforts are opening doors for women in the industry, giving them other options in WWE. A woman can be a diva, a backstage interviewer, a ring announcer and a program host...and now because of Amato, a divas’ trainer and a producer.

Amato was trained by men as have many women’s wrestlers. The late, great Fabulous Moolah and Lexie Fyfe have trained women to wrestle, but most wrestling schools are run by males with most of the students men. The amount of women interested in wrestling as a career is small compared to their male counterparts. So, the one or two women at an indie wrestling school train with the men.

WWE with Amato is changing the game for women’s wrestling in sports entertainment. The NXT Divas don’t have to train with the men. As DeMott noted, Amato currently works with 18 divas-in-training at the WWE Performance Center. That number is outstanding, and it doesn’t count women she’s already helped make the main roster, such as Emma, Lana, Summer Rae and WWE Divas champ Paige.

“I’ve always had male coaches,” said NXT Divas champ Charlotte, a former high school and collegiate star volleyball player, “so even to have a female trainer now in this industry is showing how much the divas division is growing that they care enough about us to bring in a female.

“The respect I have for [Amato] and what she’s done on the independent scene and coming in here for all of us...She’s basically like our mom, our sister, our aunt; any kind of female person in your life, she is that, because she is with you every single day. She sees the ups and downs, the struggles, the happy points, the low points. I know -- as a performer and who I am today -- with her believing in me and pushing me and understanding the business and being a female, she’s played a huge role in my success and my overall growth in the company.”

Twitter @MsCharlotteWWE

Twitter @TheSaraDelRey

NXT Takeover on Sept. 11 live on WWE Network

Watch some of Sara Amato’s students, the future of WWE Divas division, during NXT Takeover at 8 p.m. EST Thursday, Sept. 11 at Full Sail Live at Full Sail University in Winter Park, near Orlando. The action-packed 2-hour special will be live on WWE Network.

WWE Network is available for $9.99 a month and includes NXT shows as well as all WWE pay-per-views.

Adrian Neville is the NXT champ. At NXT Takeover on Sept. 11 on WWE Network, he defends the title in what should be an exciting fatal four-way with Tyler Breeze, Sami Zayn and WWE superstar Tyson Kidd.

Charlotte is the NXT divas champ. At NXT Takeover on Sept. 11 on WWE Network, she defends the title against Bayley.

The Ascension (Konnor and Viktor) is the NXT tag team champs. At NXT Takeover on Sept. 11 on WWE Network, they defend the titles against Kalisto and WWE superstar Sin Cara.

Two-time WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair will welcome international superstar Kenta to NXT during NXT Takeover on Sept. 11 on WWE Network.

NXT returning to Fort Pierce

WWE’s NXT will be at the Havert L. Fenn Center, 2000 Virginia Ave., Fort Pierce at 7:30 p.m. EST Saturday, Oct. 4. See the next generation of WWE superstars and divas along with a pre-show meet-n-greet included in the price of admission -- $20 ringside, $10 general admission.

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